Pro-Ject Debut Carbon EVO, Audiophile Turntable with Carbon Fiber tonearm, Electronic Speed Selection and pre-Mounted Sumiko Rainier Phono Cartridge (High Gloss White)

The media could not be loaded. This is my third turntable since I started listening to vinyl in 2005. Graduated from a Crosley playing dollar store records to a Technics SL-D2 which was a workhorse but ultimately I wanted to break into higher tier audio equipment.Is 500$ a lot of money? For most people I’d say yes, especially since if you don’t already have them you need the amp or receiver and speakers etc. But I spent a bunch of time reading reviews and best of’s and watching suggestions on YouTube and hands down this was most appealing to me as intro hi-fi.It’s sleek and not cheap, everything feels and looks high class. It’s just satisfying picking up the tone arm and sliding it over the record. Of course it’s not automatic but If you’re worried about walking away you can just invest in a q-up for 40$.I went with the hi gloss white snd it’s so shiny and modern looking. It’s got some weight to it but isn’t a brick, platter felt substantial and firm. The belt install was easy as hell, and of course has a button to switch between 33 and 45’s, but you have to switch belts if you’re into 78s which I’m not.Comes with plugs for US outlets and 2 more I think are European and something else, so if you gotta make an international move you can do so and take it with you. Also I am really pleased with the Sumiko cartridge, of course I’m still breaking it in but no issues and I’m glad I didn’t have to also invest in a cart.I think it’s going to last a really long time, I couldn’t be happier. Took a little while for it to be delivered. It was pouring down with rain nonstop here and Insont know if they intentionally delayed the delivery because of that but I was so happy because I was beyond paranoid it would get ruined.Upon opening realized this was packed so well I had nothing to worry about. There’s an outer Amazon box and inside the other manufacturers box with the name of the product on it and inside custom styrofoam to house and safely ship the disassembled unit. It was easy to put all the parts together with their manual but I’d you really need help I found a couple of YouTube videos that walk you thru it step by step.Works great with my speakers and my receiver.You won’t regret it and if you do you can return or he’ll sell it on eBay they retain their value as long as they’re in good shape. Keep the box so you can ship it back to the factory in case of repairs or later sale.

This turntable is a real beauty. I have the walnut version and it looks classy. The carbon tonearm, walnut plinth, sumiko cartridge, and dust cover all look great with clean lines and great style.The turntable itself came with the cartridge perfectly aligned from the factory. The counter weight and tracking were easy to set up and it all came well packaged with zero damage (which is surprising as I live in Alaska and things are often beat up when they arrive here).As for sound, first put on a Craig’s Brother album, followed by the Frightnrs, Brain Eno, and then some Debussy. So with a little punk, reggae, ambient, and classical had a good listen. The player stock from the factory sounded warm with great full bass and clear vocals. It might be a little less precise sounding then some tables but overall was very pleased with the sound.I wish it came with a nicer platter mat and wish the power supply had a longer cord. Besides those two small complaints, I’m really happy with this and am stoked that it’s all made in Europe with a Japanese cartridge. It’s nice to not be buying more Chinese stuff.

In my opinion, there's not much to dislike about this deck.It comes with a big foldout setup guide that's really clear on how to get everything right. The only thing missing is where they recommend placing the anti-skate line on the tonearm. You have to go to the Pro-Ject web page and get another setup guide you can download that explains where to place it for different cartridge weights. I'd done that shortly after I ordered so I could review it, so it wasn't much of an issue.Once you have deck leveled and the anti-skate set up, there really isn't much more you have to worry about (aside from removing all the packaging). It is a little weird to begin with trying to think about how to level with only three feet, but after playing around with the setup, it's actually a lot easier because you can set your back side up, and work with the adjustments with the two front feet that are a lot easier to manipulate. Make sure you have a good level!I've seen reviews where folks have commented about the tone arm, and the awkwardness of the lifting system and tab to lift it on the arm. I must have different hands or something, I haven't really had any issues like I've read in other reviews.The noise level is very low, I don't hear much in the way of additional that would be caused by the table itself. I'm on my second week with it, and the more I use it, the nicer it sounds. I have a combination of old vinyl I bought back in the 80s and 90s, and 180 gram LPs and re-releases that are more recent. It does every one of my old records justice, as it does with the newer pressings.The Sumiko cartridge sounds pretty good to my ears, but I'm thinking about swapping in an Ortofon Blue I have to see if it makes a difference. The Sumiko seems to be a fair "plays all types of music well" piece, though, and is pretty simple to upgrade the stylus on. I know I'll eventually want to change the cartridge, but the fragility of the tonearm leads relative to my big fat fingers and lack of tweezer practice make me nervous. I can handle the alignment, it's the soldering of tiny objects after I break them that gets difficult sometimes. They did add heat shrink around the lead/contact solder joint, and that's an improvement from the last Pro-Ject I owned. This is also shielded, where the other Pro-Ject I had pretty obviously wasn't.I'm really happy with this purchase, as I was using some vintage Marantz and Pioneer decks with more modern cartridges. I'd like to give those a rest, they've done admirably, but can go into my spares area for now.